The Doctor's Graveyard
by tswheaton
Summary: Clara has one last journey to make with the Doctor...


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* * *

 **Doctor Who:  
The Doctor's Graveyard  
**by  
tswheaton

FIRST DRAFT, DECEMBER 2015  
© TRAVIS S WHEATON, DECEMBER 2015  
Australian Writers Guild Assoc Member No.12444  
Geelong, AU

* * *

END of Hell Bent...

 **.**

 **INT. Gallifreyan corridor**

The corridor is in ruins, large chunks of masonry on the floor, layers of still settling dust.

Amidst the ruins, THE DOCTOR and ELIZA are arguing.

THE DOCTOR  
What? You, come with me?

ELIZA  
Yes.

THE DOCTOR  
Don't you think that maybe, just maybe,  
I've had enough of Time Lord company  
by now?

Eliza attempts an infectious smile.

ELIZA  
I am not a Time Lord. I am a Time Lady.

THE DOCTOR  
Ohhh the worst kind - a politically correct  
Time Lord!

ELIZA  
Lady!

The Doctor glares at Eliza, narrowing his eyes, breaks off to stare off down the corridor, before raising a finger pointedly at Eliza.

THE DOCTOR  
Ok, but there are three rules. One, -

ELIZA  
I've read all your files, remember.  
I already know your rules.

THE DOCTOR  
Oh, right. Well in that case, Four - Don't  
be presumptuous.

ELIZA  
Doctor, I think we'd better be going...

A squad of Chancellery guards appear at the end of the corridor.

THE DOCTOR  
And Five - Always run, don't walk down  
corridors.

The two run to the end of the corridor, where the TARDIS quietly waits, and moments later as the guards appear, the blue box disappears.

 **.**

 **INT. TARDIS Control Room  
**

The Doctor is slowly walking around the control console, making adjustments. Eliza follows, correcting his handiwork.

THE DOCTOR  
Seventeen - Always eat your celery.

He pauses, and stares at Eliza.

THE DOCTOR con't  
Are you sure this is what you want? It's  
not all defeating deadly diabolical  
dictatorships, you know. Sometimes there's  
exciting bits, too. I can always drop you  
back home before anyone notices...

ELIZA  
I was afraid too, Doctor.

She places a hand on his.

ELIZA con't  
But now, I'm not.

THE DOCTOR  
In that case, before we go a step further,  
there is something I need to do.  
Alone.

Eliza looks curiously at the Doctor, but he gives back nothing.

THE DOCTOR  
Why don't you go clean up, find something  
less appropriate to wear. Clothes cupboard  
is down that way, fifth door on left, turn  
right at the fountain, keep going til you  
reach a hat stand; can't miss it.

Giving the Doctor one last curious glance, Eliza turns and heads off through an interior doorway.

The Doctor returns to the console, waiting until she is out of sight, before crossing to the telepathic circuits.

His fingers gingerly trace over the delicate controls.

 **.**

 **EXT. TRAP STREET**

The TARDIS materialises in an alcove, just metres from CLARA OSWALD's body. Standing helplessly nearby, the Doctor - the younger version of himself, stares at his fallen friend. The blue double doors of the TARDIS open, and the Doctor peers out, just in time to see his younger self walking back inside the house to face Ashildr.

Just as he is about to disappear inside, the younger Doctor turns his head, and stares at his older self. With a subtle nod of understanding, he walks inside, and closes the door.

The Doctor moves from the safety of the TARDIS, and delicately, lovingly, sadly slips his arms around Clara's body, lifting her up as a tear falls down his cheek.

THE DOCTOR  
I tried, Clara. I tried.

He carries her into the TARDIS.

 **.**

 **EXT. A barren rocky planetoid**

Hanging desolate in space, the planetoid appears devoid of life, with only a thin, cold atmosphere.

The Doctor, shovel in hand, is digging a deep hole in the ground. Clara's carefully wrapped body lays waiting near the hole.

He speaks to her as he digs.

THE DOCTOR  
I did. I did show restraint. They were  
amazed at how much restraint I showed.  
[pause]  
It seems my lot in life; to dig holes.

The Doctor stops. He puts the shovel down on the opposite side of the hole, then turns, resting his head near Clara's.

THE DOCTOR  
You gave your life for mine without a thought  
for yourself, and when you needed me most...  
[pause]  
Even when I changed, even when I became  
so strange to you, you stood by my side.  
And now...  
[pause]  
I know I will see you again. It's inevitable.  
And for once, at last, I'll be the one wanting  
a hug, but...  
(wiping his face)  
But you wont be you. All the Clara's in the  
universe; but there's only one to me.

He lifts Clara's body one last time, hugging her close, never more than now wanting to feel her arms hold him tight like she always did, even when he didn't want her to.

Slowly he lowers her down, before lifting himself out.

THE DOCTOR  
Farewell, my impossible girl.

He picks up the shovel.

 _...Some time later..._

The Doctor stands, looking out over the barren rock... A small stone slab stands at the head of Clara's grave.

ELIZA  
Where are we?

The Doctor doesn't turn.

THE DOCTOR  
(angry)  
I told you I want to be alone!

ELIZA  
Who are all of these graves for?

The Doctor turns to her, his face fierce.

THE DOCTOR  
What part of alone do you not understand?

ELIZA  
(reading names off tombstones)  
Clara... Clara... Clara...

She pauses, looking curiously at the Doctor. He continues to glare angrily into the distance.

ELIZA con't  
Rory... Brian... Amy... Donna...

She stops, her hand raising to her mouth as she turns to the Doctor, remembering the names from his records.

ELIZA con't  
I'm sorry.

THE DOCTOR  
Welcome to my graveyard. My own personal  
graveyard, for my own personal friends,  
whom were all very personal to me.

ELIZA  
I'm sorry, Doctor. I didn't -

THE DOCTOR  
No, of course you didn't. No one ever does.

He stares out over the graveyard.

THE DOCTOR con't  
Do you really want to earn a place, here?

He waves his arm in front of him, at the rows of graves.

THE DOCTOR con't  
Each and every one, a friend, someone I  
trusted, someone I cared about. All dead.  
They're all dead! And now...

ELIZA  
They didn't all died whilst travelling  
with you.

THE DOCTOR  
You think me that careless?

ELIZA  
But, then - you've collected them, all?

THE DOCTOR  
I can't just leave them. I can't leave them  
where they fall. Even -

He stares at the grave labelled Adric.

THE DOCTOR con't  
When there isn't a body to bury, I bury  
them here.

ELIZA  
But, why here? It's so...

THE DOCTOR  
Cheery?

ELIZA  
Not quite where I was going.

THE DOCTOR  
Wait. Just... wait here.

The two Time Lords stand side by side on the barren rock. Time passes. Seconds, minutes, an hour...

Suddenly, starlight starts to creep up over the horizon. As the light travels over the rocky grainy sand, the landscape erupts, transforming. Greys turn green as a coverage of grass grows, with fields of flowers cropping up between graves. The previously lifeless rock is now flourishing with colour and vibrancy.

Eliza watches in shock as the light illuminates more of the planetoid they are standing on - revealing just how extensive the graveyard really is.

ELIZA  
All those graves! You knew them all?

THE DOCTOR  
No. Some, not yet. But I will. And then  
I'll lose them all.

Eliza is shocked.

ELIZA  
Is this what it is like, to live off-world?

THE DOCTOR  
This is what it is like to live. People come  
into your life. Change it. Change you.  
Make you better. Make you worse? And  
then they go. Sometimes they crop up  
again, but most the time...

He again gestures to the graves.

ELIZA  
Doctor, I am a Time Lady.

THE DOCTOR  
Lord.

ELIZA  
I wont die on you. I might regenerate,  
but I wont die. I promise.

She reaches out a hand.

The Doctor stares at it, at Eliza, then flahes his fierce face again.

THE DOCTOR  
No.

ELIZA  
No?

THE DOCTOR  
No.  
[pause]  
Just remind me not to take you anywhere  
near a CVE.

ELIZA  
Well, if you'd let me retrofit the TARDIS  
before we left, I could have plotted all of  
the known Charged Vacuum Emboitments.

THE DOCTOR  
Eighty-four! Do not retrofit my TARDIS.

The Doctor and Eliza turn and walk back toward the TARDIS.

ELIZA  
Imagine having a working chameleon circuit.

THE DOCTOR  
Where's the fun in that? After today's events,  
all the little boys and girls on Gallifrey will  
want to have their own little police box to go  
with their Doctor action figures.

ELIZA  
You practically destroyed half the capitol!

THE DOCTOR  
The other half is fine.

ELIZA  
Maybe I should go home.

THE DOCTOR  
Too late now, you're stuck with me.

THE END


End file.
